“Integrity, a choice between what’s convenient and what’s right.” – Tony Dungy, Uncommon
Integrity is a crucial quality that can set an individual apart. Integrity is a moral code that allows us to choose what is right over what might be beneficial for us at a given point in time. People without integrity are generally dishonest. And their dishonesty is not bound to one area of their lives. It seeps into the other areas of their lives as well like their relationships. A person can recognize signs of integrity in another person from their behavior.
A woman went on a date with a man. He was nice to her and then he ordered wine for them. But after a while, he started shouting at the waiter for delaying their order. That’s when the girl knew that this man was not meant for her. A person who can yell at a stranger wouldn’t mind yelling at others known to him or her as well. Integrity in interactions is a sign of integrity that exists in the personality of an individual. There are five ways to attract worthy individuals with one’s integrity.
1. Be With People Who Give
We are not just known, but we are often emotionally and mentally stimulated by the company that we keep. So, it is important that we align ourselves with people who are giving by nature. The characters that elicit generosity in people are the same characters that influence integrity. The characters of an individual that are clear signs that he or she has integrity are honesty, honor, reliability, truthfulness and nobility. People with these qualities tend to have generous spirits and integrity.
2. Believe In Your Gut
Our intuition is something that has evolved with us and time. Humans developed intellect and intuition which helped us survive through all the odds. So, if you feel odd about someone, then trust in your gut. Don’t wait for something bad to happen to get a clear picture. So, it is better to step back from a relationship and think of the future before your intuition proves you right and a big damage occurs. A step back doesn’t necessary mean that the relationship has hit a dead end. But it just means that you want to assess your priorities before taking a big step.
3. Trust The Truth
A lot of times we believe a person when they tell us what we want to hear over the truth we already know. But it is important that you believe the truth over your biases. If a person lacks integrity, he or she might even say they want to have a future with you without actually meaning it. But you will know if that is the truth or not. So, trust the truth.
4. Actions Speak Louder
You can easily see whether a person lacks integrity or not by matching his or her words with actions. The discrepancies between his or her words and actions are a litmus test that can show you that this person is a fraud. For example, if a person always promises to deliver, but never does; it shows that he or she is not a person with integrity. Now, you must decide whether to trust a person like that or not.
5. Be The Example Of Integrity Yourself
Integrity comes from a place of self-respect. If you respect yourself, you would expect yourself to be treated in a certain way. Nothing lesser would impress you. If you are mistreated by a person, your self-respect wouldn’t allow you to stay in such a place. So, when you set an example, others will follow. They will know you are to be treated in a certain way as you treat others that way. You hold others to a certain standard because you hold yourself to that standard. So, we can teach others how they should treat us by accepting as well as rejecting other’s behaviors toward us. This is a very clear indication of how we treat ourselves.
So, it is important that we understand that integrity is integral to all relationships that we have but it starts with the one we share with ourselves.
